Cooper said Levy lost the respect of the legislature and the majority of the residents and now is not the time for a weak county executive.

“Now we have a situation where the county executive is weakened and emasculated and has lost respect. We have very important negotiations with Albany over budgetary issues,” Cooper said. “I’m concerned that having a weakened county executive could adversely impact those negotiations, which could hurt all Suffolk County residents. It’s a mess.”

Cooper and Levy are no stranger to public battles. The two have clashed on many issues over the years, including putting the shot spotter system and more police in Huntington Station after more than a dozen shootings and stabbings.

So far, Levy hasn’t answered many questions about the investigation, which makes Cooper worry about Suffolk County’s future.

“I’m very concerned how this scandal will affect the county executive’s ability to be an effective advocate for Suffolk County,” Cooper said.